10 Years
by MarcellusMiro66
Summary: 10 years have passed since the campers' last visit to Camp Campbell. 10 years later, they reunite to celebrate its 40th anniversary...or its 50th? Either way, this night is going to be awesome...or awful, depending on your POV. Max x Nikki, Neil x Tabii, Harrison x Nerris, David x Gwen, Pikeman x Sasha among other pairings.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N** : There's this amazing dramedy called **10 Years** starring an ensemble cast that includes Channing Tatum, Oscar Isaac, and Kate Mara among others. It follows several characters reuniting for a one-night-only high school reunion. As it turns out, I actually ended up liking the movie more than I expected. So, why not write my own imagining with the cast of **Camp Camp** in the roles?_

 _Enjoy! If you can..._

* * *

 ** _(" You Ain't Going Nowhere" – Bob Dylan) [Oscar Isaac Cover] _**

_Max opened the glove compartment and checked to see if it was there. Nodding his head in satisfaction, a voice called out for him._

 ** _"You want any photos, Max?"_**

 _He glanced up to find Nikki standing near the basketball court in a red jacket, a yellow elbow-length blouse with a white Peter Pan collar, a red skirt, and a pair of turquoise shoes. Holding a blue Polaroid in one hand and her smartphone in another, Max decided that six photos were more than enough. And so, he shook his head._

 ** _"Uh, no. Nope, I'm good."_**

 ** _"Okay then."_**

 _He shook his head as she continued to take more photos._

 _ **Clouds so swift  
The rain's falling in  
Gonna see a movie called "Gunga Din"  
Pack up your money, pack up your tent, McGuinn  
You ain't going nowhere**_

 _Glancing back and forth between the object in the glove compartment and Nikki, Max placed it back and closed it up._

 ** _Whoo-ee ride me high_**  
 ** _Tomorrow's the day_**  
 ** _My bride's gonna come_**  
 ** _Oh, oh, are we gonna fly_**  
 ** _Down in the easy chair..._**

* * *

 _During Max and Nikki's basketball court escapade, a young adult began to board off one of the airport's many means of transportation. He had dark auburn hair, pale pink skin, golden-yellow eyes, a dark green suit jacket, a yellow long-sleeve collared shirt, and dark green pants tucked into small purple dress shoes. An aspiring playwright turned promoted fanboy, you might recognize him as Preston Goodplay._

 _Preston made his way toward the entrance, luggage in hand. Unbeknownst to him, a large heavyset man waited in secret. This man was wearing a dark brown suit with matching dress shoes. Seeing Preston walk past him out of the gate, the man smirked and crept up to him as one hand began to ball up into a fist...and the other held him down by the shoulder._

 ** _"BEANDIP!"_**

 _By the time Preston realized what was happening, it was too late. The fist had already collided with his crotch, sending him bowling over and shouting in pain. When he recovered from the blow, he turned to face his attacker and his face lit up at the identity of him._

 ** _"Gaylord!"_**

 _A fist began to form again as Nurf's expression became deadly serious, **"Call me that one more time, and I swear to God I'll murder you, Goodplay."**_

 ** _"Oh, terribly sorry, Nurf. But it's been so long!"_**

 ** _"Man, it's only been 10 years. Relax."_**

 ** _"Ten years is too long, my friend. Come on now! We must meet up with the others at David's house!"_**

 ** _"I'm pretty sure some of them are there already, so we can take our time."_** _Examining Preston's outfit from head to toe, Nurf quipped. **"That said, I didn't know we were going to a Bat Mitzvah."**_

 ** _"Heh. It's a Bar Mitzvah, old friend,"_** _Preston could only chuckle in response._

* * *

 _During Preston and Nurf's airport reunion, a young man was currently riding in a taxi on the way to David's house, having left the same airport at them just a while ago. He had blue eyes, pale skin, chestnut-brown curly hair, a brown leather jacket, a mustard yellow long-sleeve turtleneck, rolled-up dark red pants, and white tennis shoes with baby blue laces and bottom trimming. Judging by the topics of science and an unquestionable summer camp..._

 ** _"Oh yes, my next speech is being held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Unfortunately, it's also where my rival_ _– the bane of my existence – is holding her speech. ... No, Dexter is a boy. I'm talking about his girlfriend, Lisa._ _"_**

 _. . ._

 ** _"Wait, what? 26 speeches in 2 days, and I missed one? ... Did I miss one?"_**

 _. . ._

 ** _"No, I mean...it's not exactly a high school reunion. It's more like a...summer camp reunion."_**

 _. . ._

 ** _"Yes, the camp is literally called Camp Camp. Redundant, right?"_**

 _You could tell that this man was clearly an adult Neil._

* * *

 _Max and Nikki drove in the car while their daughter hummed and bobbed her head to the song currently playing on the radio (duh, this one!). They both smiled with pride before catching each other's eye and blushed as they turned back toward the road. A moment of silence passed before the former spoke to the latter._

 ** _"Nikki...thanks for agreeing on this. I'm glad you decided to come with me."_**

 ** _"Oh, Max... I feel the same, and I'm just glad to get some dirt on you."_**

 ** _"Did the school really look like a mental ward?"_**

 ** _"Yes, it did. Why?"_**

 ** _"... Because it was."_**

 ** _"Jesus, Dad. You are insane. There's like...whores there and stuff."_**

 ** _"Honey, I told you not to say "and stuff" after sentences like those. Just say "There's like...whores there" and everything will be alright."_**

 ** _"Right. Sorry. Jesus, Dad. You are insane. There's like...whores there."_**

 ** _"That's my girl."_**

 ** _"Hey, guys... I think we're here."_**

* * *

 _...Preston and Nurf rode the conveyor belt as the exit awaited them..._

 ** _"So, are they coming to the camp?"_**

 ** _"Nurf, I need you to specify "they". There were many people who went to camp with us when we were younger."_**

 ** _"Ugh. You know, Dolph and Ered; did you ask them like I asked you to?"_**

 ** _"Oh! Well, of course I did! They both accepted...but Ered said she had nothing better to do, only accepting because her secret agent parents requested it."_**

 ** _"... Huh. Figures."_**

 ** _"Yes. So, until further notice, it's you and me...esé."_**

 ** _"Ha! Okay. Okay, amigo. Where shall we partake in our next adventure?"_**

 ** _"Wherever the road takes us, my friend."_**

* * *

 _...and Neil arrived at the street of David's house._

 ** _"Uh, yeah. Yes, of course, I promise. Listen, I have to go now..._ _Wait, we just passed it–!_ _"_**

 ** _SCREECH!_**

 ** _"AW_ _– !_ _"_**

 ** _"You all right, man?"_**

 ** _"... Yeah, never better."_**

 _This day was going to be awesome._

 _This day was going to be awful._

 _This day was going to be both...for some._

 ** _Down into the easy chair..._**

 ** _"10 Years"_**

* * *

 _ **A/N** : So, this is the 1k+ prologue establishing some of the central characters and their backstories. Max and Nikki are married with a daughter, Harrison is good friends with Nurf and a successful stage actor while Nurf himself is a popular behavioral corrections officer, and Neil is the co-owner of a multimillionaire tech company prone to giving speech about moving forward...the irony being that he himself can't do that very thing he preached. Some of the plot details are borrowed from " **The Light in Our Lives** " by **Shizzle** on **AO3** , but I try my best not to commit shameless plagiarism on my own accounts._

 _The next chapter's majority will take place at David's house, where the campers will become reacquainted with each other and learn a few secrets in the process._


	2. Chapter 2

**_DING-DONG!_**

Max, Nikki, and their daughter waited outside for David and/or Gwen to answer the door. Instead... **_[BAM!]_** It was an average muscular man with sepia skin eyes, jambalaya/hairy heath hair, and wax flower skin; he wore an eastern blue jacket above a Bahama blue long-sleeve collar shirt with an anakiwa-and-wax-flower sweater vest, eastern blue dress trousers, and sepia skin slip-on loafers. Max had only a brief moment to examine him before he was lifted up into the air. Even at his current age, he could recognize Space Kid's upbeat and optimistic personality as if it were on par with Nikki's.

"Hi, Max!"

"Hey, Space Kid."

"You got fat, sucker."

"I got fat? What did _you_ do, eat one of your kids?"

"Oh, please! I look _sexy_!" Space Kid rolled his eyes and noticed his (Max's) wife and daughter watching the interaction between them, rushing over to greet them. "Hey, Nikki! Good to see you again!"

"Space Kid!" Nikki rushed over to hug her former campmate, her daughter trailing behind. "I honestly didn't recognize you for a moment there."

"That's what they said. So, you and Max actually get married? Man, I owe Harrison 20 NeilBucks."

"Hold on," Max stomped toward Space Kid with a pissed-off (not _angry_ , there's a difference) scowl. "You and Harrison _bet on us_ getting married?!"

" _Everyone in the camp_ did!" Space Kid raised his hands in defense. "Believe me, none of them had it worse than David and Gwen did!"

Max opened his mouth to retort, but decided that it wasn't worth arguing about for two hours. He and Nikki had a camp-camp reunion to attend. "Yeah, that actually makes sense. Well, FYI, Nikki and I are married with one daughter, if that clears things up."

Space Kid glanced over Nikki's shoulders and saw the little girl from earlier. "Oh, hello there, little lady! My name is Space Kid, but you can call me...Space Kid."

She seemed to take a liking towards the space-themed man and hopped on over with a smile on her face and her hand stuck out, "Hello, Mr. Space Kid! My name is Mallory, but you can call me Mal. Pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine," Space Kid returned the handshake before turning to Max and Nikki. "Come on in! David and Gwen are waiting with the others!"

Entering inside the house, the family discovered it was much more spacious (no pun intended) than it was on the outside. One set of stairs were located on the right of the entrance, with another leading upward to the further left. The kitchen was on the left while the living room on the right; in-between the spaces was a door leading to the backyard, where multiple people were outside making small yet lively talk. In the living room were Candy and Carl watching **_Pretty Woman_** while David and Gwen were in the kitchen cooking macaroni and cheese with bread crumb toppings.

"Hey, David."

As soon as David turned around at the sound of his name being called and gasped at the person who called it, Max immediately regretted his decision to do so...much to the amusement of Nikki, Space Kid, Mal, and (not soon after) an piqued Gwen. The camp counselor, with freakish acrobatic integrity, leapt over the counter (and, to an extension, a _live_ stove) and ran over to repeat what Space Kid did. Thankfully, though, he didn't lift him up like he expected, but he did nearly crush every single one of his bones in his greeting hug.

"Max! Oh, I'm so glad you and Nikki could make it!" David's gasps of surprise increased upon focusing on their daughter. "And this must be little Mallory! My name is David, your new camp – "

 ** _CHOMP!_**

David never got the chance to finish his introduction, let alone _start_ it, for Mal had chomped down on his unprotected hand.

 ** _"AAAHHH!"_**

Max and Gwen immediately burst into uncontrollable laughter at the sight of David aimlessly flailing his arm around with a still-biting Mal attached to it. Nikki and Space Kid, on the other hand, either winced in pain or disgust. The former in particular rushed over and attempted to pry her off, but with every pull she made, her daughter seemed to _bit down harder_. Deciding that their daughter had enough fun biting the shit out of their former camp counselor, Max managed to compose himself and help Nikki pry Mal off in order to relieve David of his five more minutes of pain should she bite down even harder than she possibly already could.

"You alright, Camp Man?"

"Y-Yes. Thank you, Max."

"Mal... Good job, girl. I never thought I had it in you."

Mal herself giggled and hugged her dad on the side, "Thanks, Dad."

"Max," Nikki pinched her nose bridge and shot Max a halfhearted embarrassed smile, "I thought we talked about this. Mal should bite only bad influences."

"I'm pretty sure David tops the list as much as he tops Gwen, Nikki," Max retorted as he crossed his arms the same time David and Gwen themselves elicited heavy punk blushes.

"I agree," Candy concurred as she stepped up from the couch and walked over to hug her daughter. "When did you get here, Nicolette?"

"Just a few minutes ago, Mom."

"Hi, Aunt Candy!" Mal hopped forward and placed her clamped hands behind her back while glancing up at her honorary aunt herself in an innocent and swooning manner. It seemed to have worked, seeing as "Aunt Candy" herself couldn't help but drop her sardonic demeanor for once and greet her niece.

"Hello, Mallory! Did any bad boys give you the look at school?"

"Some did, some didn't. They didn't because I knocked them in the heads when they gave the eye wriggle."

"Ah, that's my niece." As Candy and Mal shared a hug, Harrison entered from the backyard.

"Max! Nikki! You guys actually showed up!"

"Duh. Why wouldn't we?"

"Wait, is Nerris here with you?"

"Oh, yeah! She's outside talking to Ered."

"Ered's here too? I'm coming, Ered!"

While Nikki ran off screaming rescue obscenities to Max's expense, Harrison approached him with a knowing smirk. Expecting where the following conversation was going to head towards, Max raised his hand in front of Harrison to stop him from replying. "Before you ask... Yes, Nikki and I are married. Was it that obvious?"

To his surprise, the magician nodded in response to his question. "Actually, yes. Yes, it was. I guess I owe Neil and Nerris $50 Neilbucks each."

If it didn't even surprise him for a moment's notice, Max quite literally backtracked in shock...despite Space Kid filling him and Nikki in on the details a few moments earlier when they arrived. "Wait a minute! You bet that we would get married in the future, asshole?"

" _ **Everyone**_ _**in the camp**_ did, fuckface."

Everyone in the room turned to find Preston and Nurf entering the house. The former clarified the latter's statement. "What Nurfington is trying to say is; the whole campground betted that you and Nikki would become a couple, Max, but we never expected you both to become a _married_ one."

Max's expression softened at Preston's explanation...not that it did wonders to calm his nerves, of course. Then again, as stated earlier, Space Kid has informed him and Nikki of the bet. "Well, the cat's out of the bag, I guess. It's good to see you too, Preston."

"I feel the same."

After Max and Preston exchanged a short yet heartful hug, Nurf broke them up rather crudely. "Yeah, we're all gay here. Listen, David, I know we've been here for a few moments or less, but is there anything that we can sneak this booze in?"

"You guys brought booze? About damn time."

"Max..."

"Hold on, David," Gwen interrupted David, "Preston, Nurf, why did you two think it was a good idea to sneak alcoholic beverages in an adult-only get-together? You know you could've brought it anyway as it was, right?"

"Yeah, but it's not as fun when it's not considered a secret," Nurf refuted. "Besides, when you're drunk, you're practically invincible."

"Ah, the idea of Dutch courage!" Preston proclaimed with glee. "You were listening to my play!"

"Don't mention it. Ever."

"Whatever it means, I agree with the heavyweight," Ered entered from the backyard with Nikki and Nerris behind. "Yo, Harry's son. Look for a flask or canister to sneak the booze in."

"On it." Harrison began rummaging the cabinets for anything that resembled a bottle or can, Nurf joining him soon after. Meanwhile, Preston attempted ( ** _attempted_** being the keyword) to fight back an impending heavy blush rivaling that of David and Gwen's when his eyes focused on the adrenaline junkie's outward appearance. She was wearing a two-tone purple dress with a yellow hem, blue leggings, purple earrings, and her usual purple boots; her polo blue eyes complemented her pale skin and blonde/partially-dyed-with-maroon hair. He couldn't quite remember when he first arrived at the camp, but he remembered the first time _she_ arrived at it...that was the moment when...he realized that there was a life that was more than just theaters and Shakespeare ripoffs.

Of course, Preston didn't think that Ered could possibly be into a thespian geek as himself, dismissing the possibility as something out of a Hollywood movie.

"I already made an exception for tonight, which I'm starting to think is a big mistake," Candy helped the two boys jettison the cabinets for any containers.

"Oh, cheer up, honey," Carl shot up from the rolling credits to walk over to his dearly beloved. "At least you have me to suffer with."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"Well, seeing as they – as well as we – are the only adults here–"

"Why?"

David ignored Max's comment before he finally located a recycled beer bottle from the cabinet nearest and stuffed it down his pants, "I suppose that it's fair that I provide the necessary supervision and serve as the designated driver should any of you attempt to do so."

"David, are you touching yourself in front of the kids?" Candy crossed her arms.

"And why place them there?" Harrison reminded us all, "That's like... _really_ asking for trouble."

"Relax. At least he's not doing it sexually," Gwen remarked.

"Hey, Max..." Preston began to point out, "What's your daughter got over there?"

Everybody turned to face a newly-rendered shy Mal, who held a...baby bottle...in her possession...for whatever reason.

"What?"


	3. Chapter 3

Preston stumbled out the door with a baby bottle in hand; I'll give you three guesses as to where he got that. Taking a sip out of it, he sighed in relief and followed Nurf to Harrison and Nerris's car. Commenting on the booze's somehow sweet-and-sour taste, Space Kid called out to them, but they had already entered the vehicle.

"No, wait! Wait, wait! Oh, darn it..." Space Kid muttered indignantly under his breath. "I thought we were going together."

"Calm down, Space Kid. You're not the only one with any mode of transportation."

Quite _literally_ everyone stopped in their tracks at the sound of that voice. They turned to find a very familiar man with a very familiar Afro. Neil himself glanced around and shrugged in confusion. "What?"

 _ **"Neil!"** _Nikki rushed-rushed towards her second male best friend to give him a hug while her first trailed behind. Max himself rolled his eyes with his hands in his pockets. Neil was caught off guard by the ensuing hug, but eased into it. Seeing Max approaching them, he couldn't help but think to himself: _Wow... Max and Nikki are married this time around. This is gonna be make me rich..._ Little did he know...

"Nikki, Max! So good to you guys–!"

 _ **CRUNCH!**_

 _ **"YOW!"**_

Everybody watched in shock at the events that unfolded before them. Neil was just greeting Max and Nikki when the former kicked him in the nuts (and _not_ punched him in the face like he had expected him to do), much to the horror of the latter and pretty much everybody who was watching. The Indian-American boy smirked and chuckled under his breath, patting him on the shoulder for false comfort.

"Yeah. Good to see you too, Neil."

 _"Max..."_

When it was David chastising him for something he did, Max remained nonchalant and indifferent. However, when it was Nikki's time in the spotlight... _Well..._

"Heh, heh. Sorry, hun. So worth it, though."

Nikki facepalmed herself and helped Neil up. He commented as she did, "God. Got some nuts on you."

"Are you okay, Neil?"

"Oh, relax, Nikki," Nurf exited the car, "Max didn't kick him that hard. If anything, he was taking it easy."

 _ **POP!**_

 _ **"AYE!"**_

Max cackled and ran off. "Next time, Neil, I won't be!" A livid Nurf (who was on the road to recovery from being delivered a low blow to the crotch as well) chased after him while Preston sighed in disbelief.

"Greetings, Neil. How is life treating you?"

"Up until that crotch kick? Fairly well, thank you, Preston." While he did glance around to find just about everyone from the camp, Neil just had to ask to confirm his suspicions. "So... Is everyone from the camp here?"

"Yep!" Nikki nodded a tad too fast. "Max is currently being chased around David and Gwen's house by Nurf, who arrived here with Preston. Preston may or may not have a crush on Ered, who was talking with Nerris, who's married to Harrison and in the car with him right now. Speaking of David and Gwen, they're both talking to my mom and your dad about transportation issues while Dolph and Mal are getting to know each other better before we leave. Oh, and if you're wondering, Tabii with one eye isn't here...at the moment."

 _. . ._

"Huh. That's actually everyone from the camp. Wait, my dad's here too?!"

"Yep! I told you my mom would hit it off with him quite well!"

"Ugh, of course. Why am I not surprised? I just hope he doesn't mention–or _use_ –Socrates again..."

"Why? What's his beef with the Greek philosopher?" Max entered the scene from the left, Nurf trailing behind from the right.

"No, no. It's like..." Neil began to explain before realizing that he wasn't present during Parents' Day, only been told small details by Nikki. "Oh, never mind. You weren't there."

"Good. I was worried we were going to suffer through another one of your boring-ass speeches," Max remarked. "Listen, as much as we would love to listen to you, Neil, I'm afraid we have a 10-year reunion to get to."

"Wow. You've really changed a lot, Max," Neil (not overcome with sarcasm) was genuinely taken aback by Max's attitude.

"Pfft. Not really. I'm just trying to set an example for little Mal," Max gestured to the young girl.

"Oh, who's she?"

"Why," Nikki brightly smiled as she hugged Mal from behind, "our little bundle of joy."

 _. . ._

 ** _"HUH?!"_** Neil glanced between Max, Nikki, and Mal before finally seeing the uncanny resemblance. The young girl's skin tone was a balanced mixed complexion of Max's sunshade and Nikki's rosebud. Her eyes were froly like Nikki's, but her swept-down black hair screamed Max while the silver tree tips at the end echoed her as well. She donned a red hoodie above a mustard yellow shirt, dark grey skinny jeans, olive-and-white sneakers, and two white Band-Aids on her left cheek with scratches on her right. _Yep. Definitely the offspring of Max and Nikki._

"Aw!" Nerris shot out of the car and began to quite literally cuddle Mal in her arms. "Max, Nikki! She's _so_ cute!"

Mal could only giggle and melt into Nerris's cuddle while Harrison had no choice but to set the car on park and see for himself. Indeed, the offspring of Max and Nikki was very cute to look at, while her present personality suggested otherwise. That didn't stop her from being nothing short of adorable, however, and yet she resembled the former (Max) far more than the latter (Mal), bar none. He couldn't help but feel glad for Max, who managed to get his act together and make a life for himself. Of course, having no actual parents to call his own (up until David and Gwen saw it fit to adopt him) may have something to do about it.

"Yeah... I guess she is," Harrison nodded in agreement. "So, wait. Max, does this mean she has an Aunt Gwen and Uncle David to look forward with?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Max returned said nod as he grumbled, "But honestly, they could've been worse."

Before Nikki and Mal could ask what he meant, David and Gwen arrived at just the right time.

"All right, kiddos! Are we ready to get this show on the road?"

"They're not kids, David."

"I know, Gwen, but they're still kids at heart. Are we ready?"

"Hells yes," Max shouted out, "Let's go before the other campers get distracted by the little pile of cuteness that is my daughter."

Nikki shot him both a chastising look and the biggest shit-eating grin he'd ever seen. Max merely rolled his eyes and shook his head as he entered the car and drove off. Meanwhile, Neil – wanting to spare himself the entirety of a car ride talking about...whatever his parents desired to talk about – entered Space Kid's car before Preston and Nurf jumped in. Lastly, Ered and Dolph hitched a ride with Harrison and Nerris just as David and Gwen allowed Candy and Carl (who, like Neil, had taken a cab on the way) to tag along with them.

Now it's time for the overlapping conversation scenes normally found in movies with ensemble cast.

 _ **Conversation #1 (Max and Nikki...Plus Mal):**_

"Max, you okay?"

Max looked up from his driving to find Nikki looking at him with a concerned expression. He nodded a tad too fast in an attempt to drop the subject. "Yeah, yeah. I'm okay."

"No, you're not. What's wrong?" She wasn't convinced, but she didn't mean to pressure him into telling the truth. However, that's exactly what he did when he relented.

"I'm worried..."

"About what?"

"About my parents. Nikki, they haven't seen or heard of Mal thus far."

"Why is that a problem?"

 _Damn it... I didn't tell her yet._

"Remember a few summers ago when we had that Parents' Day event?"

"I do. That's when my mom screwed Neil's dad and we become step siblings for life. Wait..." The horror of the situation began to unfold as Nikki let the puzzle pieces fall into place. "Did... Did they not attend?"

"They didn't just attend, Nikki. They fucked me over in any way they could and made my life up a living hell until that point. This, despite the fact I did absolutely nothing wrong and tried my best to look to their needs and wants. I had enough, so I decided to go to the police and tell them everything; turns out they were so deep in my parents' pockets that they were reduced to eating donuts firing shotguns into the ceiling now and then. Sending me to Camp Campbell was just their last resort in order to protect their reputations and I never heard from them since. So who knows how they would react if I proved them wrong by marrying you and having Mal?" Max's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "I guess I was nothing but a worthless weight to shove off their shoulders."

Nikki was stunned silent by Max's heartbreaking tale of parental neglect and asked him to pull over. When he did, she unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned over to hug him, prompting him to return the gesture.

"You're right about a few things, Max," Nikki started her own tirade. "You did absolutely nothing wrong to your parents and had every right to go to the police, even if they ended up being useless in the end. But here's where you're wrong: you're not worthless or a weight on their shoulders. If anything, _they_ are the weights on _your_ shoulders. Yes, you can be a cynical and sardonic jerk most of the time, but that's just a facade for the ultimate selfless and kindhearted person you really are...and I couldn't be more certain of that."

Max's turn to be stunned silent himself was short-lived when he unbuckled his seatbelt and planted a curt kiss on Nikki's lips for a split second. He shot her a genuine smile soon after.

"You're a lot smarter than you look, you know that?"

"I do know that. That's why you married me."

From the backseat, Mal couldn't help but swoon at the sight of her parents expressing their love and opening up to each other. That being said...

"Mom, Dad? I _really_ hate to break up the tender moment, but...we kinda ran a red light back there."

As they both broke away to process the news delivered to them by their own daughter no less, a swarm of police sirens on cue immediately sounded off in the distance. Their eyes widened (in quite comical fashion, one may add) before both buckled in their seatbelts and Max turned over the engine, driving as Nikki and Mal elicited slight giggles of glee. _Ugh... These girls will be the death of me..._

 _ **Conversation #2: Preston and Nurf (Plus Neil and Space Kid)**_

"So, my dear friends..." Preston glanced at the rear view mirror. "What have you been up to for the past 10 years?"

"Well..." Space Kid was the first to reply. "Besides the fact that I'm essentially transitioning from desk jockey to field agent during my time in the CIA, nothing much really."

"Hold on," Neil was second, "Space Kid, you're in the CIA? Honestly, given your interest and namesake, I was deducing that you would be a good fit for NASA."

"Oh, I am in NASA, but supervising new trainees instead of going on expeditions is good if not great and close enough."

"Still though, you're lucky as heck. This coming from a guy who currently runs the third billionaire-dollar franchise in the world to date."

"You're not the only one making money, Neil," Nurf was third, "I'm basically getting paid to beat the shit out of everybody and anybody who messes with my customers. Thank God those MMA lessons paid off."

"Yes, but none of you have been held in the highest prestige as I have been. My "Hamilton, But With Jazz" musical _finally_ , _**finally**_ won all those Tonys!"

"And I couldn't be happier," Nurf patted Preston on the back and congratulate him...since neither Neil nor Space Kid didn't. "Speaking of fame and fortune, have any of you by any chance met a lady in your lives?"

To his surprise, all of them responded with something along the lines of "No" or "Not Yet".

"Really? Alright then. Hey, Preston..."

"I don't like where this is going...but what?"

"If you were given the chance to sleep with any girl, who would it be?"

"Goshdarnit. Nurf, this is the third time you've asked me that infernal question!"

"When were the first and second times?"

"At David and Gwen's house, where we were looking for spare bottles for our booze, which we currently have stored in the trunk!" A Gilligan Cut to a stored trunk of spare bottles of booze later, "Besides... I'm not sure if a girl would take a chance on me anyways!"

"Ah, come on! If I could get a Flower Scout to take a chance on me and arrange a marriage right on the spot, then you can do the same! Besides, it's a fairly simple question. If – the keyword being _**if**_ – you had a girl on your mind that you wished to sweep off her feet, who would it be?"

Preston opened his mouth to retort, but stopped himself when his mind rewound back to the events at their house. His imagination overwhelming his judgment, the thespian found himself thinking about a certain adrenaline junkie clad in two shades of purple. _Oh, Ered... How you amaze me with your fashion sense, dazzle me with your blunt personality, and... **excite** me with those great big—_

"Car."

 _Wait, what?_ Preston looked up from his trance to find a huge semi speeding in the line of traffic, blaring its horn as he did so. The guys (sans Nurf) screamed in terror before Preston regained his footing and swerved out of the way. With their hyperventilating fits coming to an end, Neil proceeded to smack him on the back of his head.

"Dude! We could've crashed!"

"It's not his fault!" Space Kid held him back from smacking even more. "He was clearly distracted!"

"Plus it took a full minute tops for Preston to not only lose sight of the road," Nurf then shot the most gleefully shit-eating grin at him, "but also gain a massive boner in the process. And now we all know what that means."

"Preston is a pervert when it comes to traffic?"

"No, Space Kid. Preston... Who did you pick?"

Preston _really_ didn't to speak his thoughts, but he eventually relented...with a sanitized version. _"Ered... I was thinking about Ered..."_

Surprisingly, after a few minutes, the teasing and jeers never came Preston's way. Instead, a pat on the shoulder (if somewhat rough) was a sign of reassurance that his friends meant no harm. Nurf chuckled, somehow impressed by his friend's choice. "Ered, huh? Preston... That's a good choice."

"That is a good choice," Neil amazingly nodded in agreement, "That is a _very_ good choice. Sorry I backhanded you."

Preston waved him off before continuing to drive. There was going to be two additional conversations, but this chapter's _far_ too long already. Expect them in a later chapter or two.


	4. Chapter 4

All of the cars arrived at the parking garage directly connected to the hotel the reunion was being held (sorry to be specific, but it's true). Max and Nikki arrived first, followed almost immediately by David and Gwen. As they exited their respective vehicles, they watched as the ones owned by Harrison and Preston pulled up right beside them.

"Well, well," Dolph hopped out of the former car while taunting Max's, "Your little Volvo did _not_ pass the American test."

"It's retail, too," Max himself retorted, "Don't even go there."

During this exchange, the others got involved in small talk of their own. David and Gwen talked with Nikki and Mal, Neil and Dolph talked with Harrison and Nerris, and Nurf seemed to nudge Preston toward Ered...for whatever reason. Meanwhile, Space Kid walked alongside Max, who seemed content of getting ahead of everyone else.

"Wow. Everyone's here. Wait a minute... Is she–?"

"No, Space Kid. She's not coming," Max shook his head in response. Although his smile suggested that he didn't mind, his tone suggested otherwise. Of course, he found it within himself to clear that up, "And I don't mind. All that matters is this reunion, my friends, Nikki, and Mal."

"Aw, thanks, Max." Space Kid patted him on the shoulder...before adding another question, "What if she did come? Would you still bring them?"

"Of course, I would. If she has a problem, it's her loss. She can't decide if I want to bring my family wherever I go."

 _To be honest,_ Space Kid nodded in agreement, _I would feel the same._ But he couldn't help but wonder...

As the group entered the hotel, they were greeted by a surprising large entourage of former campers and counselors. Darla and Gregg were supervising the complementary photo shoot, while the former campers themselves served the guests with an assortment of concessions and refreshments. Quartermaster himself seemed to appear almost out of thin air, making his presence loud and clear with one single statement:

"Boss is here."

The group jumped in fright before noticing the elderly (and very much _alive_ ) groundskeeper and processing the sentence he had said. At that moment, a middle-aged man strutted onto the scene in a snappy black tuxedo. He immediately locked eyes with David, who returned the favor straight away; it was the (about-to-be short-lived) duel of the century – the former owner of Camp Campbell vs. the current owner of Camp Campbell.

"Davey."

"Mr. Campbell."

The tension between them was palpable, but nonetheless cut with a knife when Campbell extended his hand to shake David's...before pulling him in for a hug.

"Oh, Davey! I was just kidding around with you! How's my old camp running without me?"

Suddenly, Mal began humming the classic Eminem song at Campbell's wording, much to the confusion of most of the group sans Max, who immediately caught on and whistled along with her. When they eventually stopped, they noticed the looks of bewilderment on the group's faces.

"Sorry, everyone," Max apologized for them both, "My bad."

David merely rolled his eyes before continuing his conversation with Campbell. "Well, we're doing alright without you, Mr. Campbell. How is your reduced sentence in Super Guantanamo coming along?"

"Ah, you know. It has its ups and downs, but it's okay overall. Honestly, it could've been worse."

"I doubt it," Max muttered under his breath as Mal giggled and Nikki elbowed him. "You broke out of prison, didn't you, Campbell?"

In the blink of an eye, Campbell's cool-as-ice exterior began to melt as his uncomfortable interior took over. "I didn't know where else to go, Mitchell. You think it's easy for someone like me to get another job other than the one I have now?"

"It should be, and it's Max..."

"Yes, yes," Campbell waved his correction off, "and no. Even when you're rich like me, you run into trouble finding a job."

"A morally corrupt billionaire with authority problems?" Harrison tilted his head, "Yeah, you have a point there."

"Harrison, please shut..."

Meanwhile, Neil was retrieving his _'Hello, My Name Is'_ sticky-note identification from a table not far away from the group's conversation with Campbell, watching them talk and bicker. As he stuck and smoothed his name card on his collared shirt, Space Kid approached from behind and slapped his hand on his shoulder, unintentionally frightening him.

"Gah! Space Kid, don't do that!"

"Sorry, Neil. I just want to be careful of those people."

Confused, Neil glanced back-and-forth. "What people?"

Space Kid shifted Neil to his position and pointed, "Those kind of people. The so-called fanatics. They want your autograph because you wrote down and sang the songs they listened to and loved."

"But...those were only a couple of times!" Neil protested in the form of a harsh whisper, "I didn't think anybody would listen to me anyway except during speeches!"

"Well, buddy, stranger things have happened."

As this occurred, Harrison and Nerris walked over to retrieve their name tags. "Be careful, hon. I get off name duty."

Exchanging confused glances, Neil and Space Kid demanded an explanation. _"What?"_

Harrison winced and reluctantly explained, "Oh, I get nervous whenever I introduce myself, causing me to momentarily forget my name and the person or people I'm introducing myself to."

"So, I introduce myself first," Nerris continued, "Like say, _'Hi, I'm Nerris. And you are?'_ So that way, he can keep his posture during a forming introduction. But not this time."

"Good God..."

Nerris giggled as she accompanied Harrison upstairs.

"I can't stop looking at her boobs."

"Preston!"

Preston himself flinched at Nurf's backhanded smack. As they both received their name tags, Nurf elbowed Preston again, but for an entirely different reason this time.

"So, Goodplay... Whatever you need tonight, I am your wingman."

"Ha-ha. Don't... Don't say that."

"Say what?"

"I love you, Nurf, but...you're the worst wingman in the history of wingmen."

"Am not. I'm the best."

"See, the worst wingman in the world always says that they're the best wingman in the world. It's just poetic."

The group headed to the upper level where most of the party was being held, everyone having their own little conversations.

"So, are we ready for this?"

"We'll see."

"How about some shots?"

"... I love you."

"Mom, Dad. I'm right here."

"Okay, everybody!" Space Kid strolled in like he owned the joint...which, granted, he kinda did. "Now the party can start!"

"You heard the space nerd!" Gwen enthusiastically raised a bottle of beer high in the air, "Now the party can start!"

And so, said party commenced as the party guests began to converse with each other. People talked, people walked, and people started the drinking contests. Max, Nurf, and Space Kid were among the primaries in the lead; Space Kid in particular, despite taking an earlier oath not to drink himself to death, was dangerously close to achieving this goal in question. So far, he was on Drink #21 and over, with Nurf close behind. Max, surprisingly enough, lagged behind and timed himself whilst counting the number of shots he took. However, anyone familiar with him having a daughter to look after wasn't entirely surprised by this fact.

Max walked over to find Nikki talking with Jacob, managing to catch a smidge of what exactly the conversation was about:

"So you two are together? You and Max?"

"Yeah. Even if he was a jerk before, I still cared about him. I guess it was his aloof attitude that made him attractive."

"Well, I never saw it coming. Congratulations."

As Nikki and Jacob hugged, Max came over and surprised his girlfriend with a peck on the cheek.

"Oh, hey, Max! Jacob and I were just talking about you!"

"So I've heard. Apparently, me being aloof makes me attractive."

"It was a joke, hon."

Max chuckled in amusement before noticing a dark object in the latter's hands. "Jacob, what is that?"

"What, this?" Jacob raised it up so they can see it better; it was a 4K camcorder with a mounted microphone, "Oh, this is Darla and Gregg's. I just thought it would be fun to film us all getting wasted tonight."

"Ah. Done," Max was clearly on board with the idea, something that earned him another elbow nudge from Nikki.

"Anyway, I don't mean to be a _Johnny-Ask-A-Lot_ , but is this getting serious?"

"Of course it's getting serious," Max slipped an arm around Nikki's shoulders, "We've been quote "dating" for 10 years now, and I'm pretty that's grounds to get serious than before."

"I hope so," Mal appeared out of nowhere with a soda bottle in hand, "They don't call it a honeymoon for nothing."

Max, Nikki, and Jacob shot her incredulous looks. Mal said nothing as she drank her Coke with a growing smirk on her face.

 _Meanwhile with David and Gwen..._

"So, David... I didn't know you were into rap music."

"Um... Of course, I am. I still am."

"... Yeah, I know, but I didn't think that meant you were black as you yourself believed."

"What? I didn't act black! Not as much, anyway..."

"Well, how black did you act, just out of curiosity?"

"Uh... Like on a scale from 1 to 10?"

"Like on a scale from white to black?"

"I'd say... a dark grey."

"... Huh."

 _Meanwhile with Jacob and Darla..._

"No, no, no. Jacob, what are you doing? Hi. No, we need to put the camera back now."

"But Darla, I want to get everybody."

"Right, you will. But you still need to put the camera back."

"Ok, ok. I'll put the camera back..."

"Thank you."

"...right after when I do _this_."

"No, no, no! Jacob!"

 _Meanwhile with Preston and Nurf..._

"What the hell was that, Preston?"

"What?"

"That's your idea of impressing a girl?"

"All I did was show her pictures of a baby! She wanted to see some!"

"Well, that's when normal people say: _"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't have any baby pictures with my wife yet to show you at the moment!"_ Come on, man!"

"So it was a mistake to show a girl pictures of my non-existent baby?"

"It was more than just a mistake. I mean, did you realize what you did just now? You showed her pictures of your _goddamn **boat**!_ Who does that?"

"I apologize if it was nothing short of a conversation killer."

"Yeah, you standing at the pier right next to a little grounded boat wearing a captain's hat... That's the epitome of a conversation killer right there."

 _. . ._

"Ah, it seems you have drastically improved your vocabulary, Gaylord!"

"Ugh. Fuck you, Goodplay..."

 _Meanwhile with Max and Nikki..._

Nikki was applying more makeup on her face when Max suddenly barged in and hugged her from behind.

"Eek! Max, what are you doing here?"

"Nikki, you left for I don't know how long by myself! Why shouldn't I be here?"

"Someone's gonna come inside. Besides, you gotta be watching Mal."

"Mal can take care of herself. She's a big girl. Speaking of which, do you mind if I sneak out to the parking lot and smoke a joint with the guys?"

"... I guess you can. But remember, you can't smoke more than one puff because you're a lightweight, ok?"

"Like hell, I am. Thanks, honey."

"Go, before I change my mind and somebody sees."

Max planted a kiss on Nikki's cheek, prompting her to giggle in delight and call out to him: "One puff, lightweight. Don't forget!"

"Probably might!"

And he did. _Twice._

While this was going on, a young woman entered the hotel and examined her surroundings. She had an _au chico_ complexion with cornflower blue hair and heterochromia: one eye was seagull blue, the other was harvest gold. She wore a white button-down blouse with a pink Peter Pan-style collar and matching cuffs, a light pink/dark pink striped skirt, and violet Mary Janes with white soles. She had no idea why she was here...nor why she chose to go in the first place.

"Hello, ma'am."

The young woman turned to find an African-American man (Gregg) wearing a dark green suit jacket, blue dress trousers, and black dress shoes with white heels-and-toes.

"Complementary photo?"

"Uh, yes. Sure."

"Is it just you?"

"... Yes. For now, anyway."

Gregg went over to write her nametag. "Your name?"

The young woman seemed hesitant, but made it out after a moment or so.

"Erin."

"Just Erin?"

"... For now."

* * *

 _ **A/N** : Sorry if it's been forever (two months exactly), but family drama and cold season do **not** make a winning combination. Nonetheless, I strived and survived to bring you this fourth chapter of " **10 Years** ". Until next time..._


End file.
